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Bu cadde çok işlek.

Bu cadde çok işlek.
This street is very busy.
FromLesson 73inHardcore Turkish
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Breakdown of Bu cadde çok işlek.

olmak
to be
çok
very
bu
this
işlek
busy
cadde
the street

Questions & Answers about Bu cadde çok işlek.

Why is there no verb like to be in Bu cadde çok işlek?
In Turkish simple-present descriptive sentences, the verb “to be” is dropped (zero-copula). The adjective (işlek) itself serves as the predicate. For formality or emphasis you can add the suffix -dir to the adjective (Bu cadde çok işlektir), but in everyday speech the copula is omitted.
What is the role of çok in the sentence?
çok is an adverb meaning very. It intensifies the adjective that follows. In Turkish, çok always precedes the adjective (e.g. çok işlek, çok güzel, çok hızlı).
What does bu mean here, and can I use şu or o instead?
bu is a proximal demonstrative meaning this (near the speaker). You can replace it with şu (that, near the listener) or o (that over there) depending on context. If you drop the demonstrative entirely, you get Cadde çok işlek, which is a more general statement: “The street is very busy.”
How do I say a busy street (indefinite) in Turkish?

To express an indefinite noun with an adjective, insert the article bir between them:
 işlek bir cadde = “a busy street.”
Without bir, işlek cadde can occur in headlines or notes, but bir makes the indefinite meaning clear in normal sentences.

What is the difference between cadde and sokak?

cadde refers to a larger, main street or avenue—usually wider and busier.
sokak denotes a smaller street or side street (often residential).
So a major thoroughfare is called a cadde, while side lanes are sokak.

How does işlek differ from kalabalık or yoğun?

All three can describe “busy,” but with nuances:

  • işlek emphasizes the flow of traffic or activity (“busy street” by vehicles or commerce).
  • kalabalık highlights a crowd of people (“crowded”).
  • yoğun stresses density or intensity (“heavy traffic,” “intense workload”).
Why isn’t işlek inflected with any suffix here?
When adjectives are used predicatively (after the subject, as the main descriptor), they remain uninflected in Turkish. Only nouns take case endings. Since işlek is the predicate describing bu cadde, it stays in its base form.
Could I say Bu çok işlek cadde or Çok işlek bu cadde? What’s the difference?

Yes—Turkish word order is flexible but shifts meaning/function:
• Bu çok işlek cadde uses çok işlek attributively before the noun: “this very busy street” (noun phrase).
• Bu cadde çok işlek is predicative: “this street is very busy.”
• Çok işlek bu cadde inverts for emphasis or style: still “this street is very busy,” but with a poetic or emphatic twist.

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